The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a guide to the performance and musical understanding of the role of Zerbinetta from the 1916 version of Richard Strauss’s opera Ariadne auf Naxos. As one of the titans of the repertoire for high soprano, the role requires considerable study. This dissertation addresses the sizeable singing obligation and technical difficulties of the role, Zerbinetta’s musical requirements, character traits, and material pertinent to historical and dramatic matter. In doing so, it provides the performer with a well-rounded foundation on which to base her interpretation of the character
